It was with great sadness that in 2020 we learned about the death of Johnston Birchall, emeritus professor, writer, thinker, and leading co-operative scholar. Johnston was a great champion of the co-operative movement and he has left a legacy - a treasure trove of publications on member-based organisations, mutualism, governance and co-operative values and principles. He will be greatly missed.
Tributes to Johnston -
Nick Matthews, Vice Chair of Co-operative UK and director-member of UKSCS
His contribution to the thinking about co-operatives was immense. He was a prodigious champion of the co-operative and mutual sector with a level of knowledge and understanding that will be very hard to replace.
Dr. Richard Simmons, a good friend and collaborator with Johnston
It is with great sadness that we share the news that one of our leading co-operative scholars, Prof. Johnston Birchall, has passed away following an extended period of illness. Johnston will be long remembered as a leading author, scholar and thought-leader for co-operation internationally, with many of his publications translated into numerous languages. His major contributions include 'Building Communities the Co-operative Way' (1988; Re-issued 2014), 'Co-op: the People's Business' (1994), 'The International Co-operative Movement' (1997), 'People-Centred Businesses: co-operatives, mutuals and the idea of membership' (2010), and 'Finance in an Age of Austerity: the power of customer-owned banks' (2013). He was also the author of more than 60 academic articles and chapters, as well as influential reports for the ICA, ILO and UN, including 'Co-operatives and the Millennium Development Goals' (2004), 'Resilience of the Co-operative Business Model in Times of Crisis' (2009), and 'Resilience in a Downturn: the power of financial co-operatives' (2013). Many colleagues will remember Johnston's huge passion for his subject, his ability to communicate this to any audience - and his great humanity, humility and generosity in doing so. He will be sadly missed.
